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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Birthday Cake Popcorn.

So here's what happened.

Friday afternoon I was trying to recreate one of those fancy Disneyland cookies I'd told you about earlier in the week. And it started out beautiful and promising: chocolate chip cookie dough, white chocolate candy melts, gorgeous swirls of raspberry preserves, and chunks of rich dark chocolate... the sort of cookie dough that spoons were made for, if you know what I mean. Dreamy. Indulgent.

Except it spread into one giant mess of gooey, melted, pink-streaked chocolate.

It happened.

So I sulked on the couch and decided baking wasn't for me anyways and I should probably just quit and turn in my apron, except I really loved that apron and what would I blog about? and I was kind of still hungry and was it my birthday yet? because I was ready for another weekend at Disneyland.

Then it hit me.

I didn't want cookies. I wanted popcorn.

And I wanted it to taste like birthday cake.

So, even though there was an actualbirthday cake sitting not too far away (and by cake I mean one slice because that may or may not be all that's left), I started chopping up white chocolate, all while googling birthday cake popcorn on my phone & eyeing that box of cake mix I bought sometime around February, but never used. Did cake popcorn exist? It didn't. Yes! Let's do this.

Fact: I want to eat this picture.

I love white chocolate. Like... love. And I've been saving this brick of Ghiradelli for what feels like forever. Mostly because it cost me about $4 and this is a recession, but I was also kind of hoping I'd lose all self-control and it would be there for me, waiting behind the chocolate chips and leftover mini marshmallows, to be consumed in a fit of pants-popping indulgence.

What? Stop looking at me. I didn't.

I made the obviously healthier choice.

I melted it. And whisked in heaping teaspoons of yellow cake mix and rainbow sprinkles. And poured it over hot buttery popcorn and warm, melting miniature M&Ms. Then threw on more sprinkles. Wouldn't you?

Colorful!

It's sweet, addictive, festive and fun, with a subtle taste of birthday cake in every deliciously rich handful. Next time I think I'll try using a white, unbuttered popcorn and a teaspoon or two more of cake mix (maybe funfetti?), but for now, buttery, salty popcorn + cakey white chocolate = mind-blowing deliciousness.

Pop popcorn and spread out on a paper towel, removing any kernels or burnt pieces, and place in a large bowl. Mix in mini M&Ms.

Melt white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Stir in cake mix until smooth, then stir in about 3 teaspoons of sprinkles. Immediately pour over popcorn. Using a wooden spoon, mix the popcorn and M&Ms until completely coated.

Pour out onto wax paper or into a wax-paper lined jelly roll pan and spread into a single layer. Sprinkle with sprinkles until festive, then let cool and harden. Break into pieces and enjoy!